Same in Sweden as in Switzerland. In a restaurant, if you just ask for "water" you will be given tap water. If you want bottled water you have to specifically ask for "mineral water" and then it will be fizzy. If you ask for bottled still water they will stare at you unless it is not a very expensive restaurant. I have seen Evian in some shops but I would recommend to check the best before date as I have never seen anyone buying it.

"Strangely I actually prefer water at room temp/ not ice cold and don't use ice."

That's exactly how my daughter prefers water -- and all beverages in fact, her beloved Diet Coke included. :-)

"If you ask for bottled still water they will stare at you unless it is not a very expensive restaurant."

Another intriguing cultural difference between the U.S. and France -- or any other given country. I love those.

It's perfectly appropriate to order tap water. But do realize that it won;t come with ice and will be cold tap temperature. Also you will need to ask each time you want the glass refilled>>

this, as the above posts suggest, is far from universal. on our recent trip to Holland we asked for a jug of water everywhere we went and were universally served with just that, and no problems about refills. I can't speak for your other proposed destinations, but in holland, you should be fine.

Another vote for water at room temperature and no ice. Ice cold water makes my teeth ache (and very cold food lacks taste). I'm hoping to be able to get tap water in Italy in October.

Totally off topic, but every time I pass through the city of Evian on Lake Geneva (Lac Leman), I wonder who orders bottled water in the restaurants or buys it in the stores.

Gailw, I hope that you know that dental sensitivity to extreme temperatures is a serious disease that requires treatment. If cold water makes your teeth ache, you need to see your dentist immediately.

annhig--I actually had the same reaction you did to the refilling the glass comment. I had been trying to think when I was last served one glass of water in France, Belgium or the Netherlands. I couldn't remember a single instance.

But then again, I was never traveling alone, so perhaps that's something that could happen.

As other posters have indicated...

I hate ice in water.

And while we're on the topic of "cold", my husband and I, both big IPA beer drinkers, have to fight, fight, fight in the US to make sure our beers are not poured into frosted mugs. We keep explaining: "That's for BAD beers."

AZ - we do the same thing, and often get strange looks from bartenders (depending on how experienced they are). Beers (well, good beers/ales, etc.) in this country are generally served WAY too cold. It's hard to taste anything when it's that cold!

FYI, do note if a tap is convenient for the waitperson. If not, order the bottled or fill your own.

We ate at an outside bar one time and asked for tap water. It meant the waiter had to make a special trip inside. He wasn't pleased with us.

But I bet he took the tip/service charge quite happily.

I just remembered something daughter told me. She said that according to a French law of 1967, a restaurant is obligated to provide condiments, tap water and bread with any meal. And I did find references to that.

However, I've done a search, and the law was amended in 1987.
http://www.paris-bistro.com/conso/dr...so/carafe.html

If I'm reading correctly, the restaurant is NO longer obligated as long as it posts that on its outside and inside menus.

Clicked send before I added a repeated emphasis:

I just can't recall ever having a problem getting water. But I repeat: I have never been by myself.

In addition, we have also always ordered additional beverages--coffee, beer, wine. In other words, we're not using tap water as our substitute drink, nor are we using bread a substitute meal.

I just can't recall ever having a problem getting water. But I repeat: I have never been by myself.>>

I have eaten in Italy by myself and was treated just the same as when I'd eaten with a partner or family. i have no reason to believe France is any different. you're not going to endear yourself to the establishment however many of you there are if you just drink tap water and fill up on the bread.

but you wouldn't do that at home, would you?

<<I just can't recall ever having a problem getting water. But I repeat: I have never been by myself.>>

Annhig--I was multi-tasking at the time of my most recent "two-fer" unclear replies and my references to an earlier reply of mine was even more unclear. I should have just come back to reply at a different time when the phone and my husband weren't calling me! Hazy.

Here's what I meant...
In an earlier reply to this post, I indicated that we always were brought a carafe in France without any problem and also never had a problem getting refills of the carafe. When one poster remarked about getting his/her glass refilled, I remarked that I had never remembered being served just one glass of tap water--but then again, it would have made perfect sense to give us a carafe rather than just a glass full per person if there were two or more persons at the table. And I'm always with two or more.

The "endearing to the establishment" was not my point at all about gorging on bread and drinking water. The operative term in the 1967 French law was "with a meal," and I can't imagine anyone except the most tiring individual having a problem with that limitation.

Yes, I remember getting a glass of water with just an ice cream sundae in the States at the local pharmacy when I was a child (does that date me or what?), but I hardly expect to see that policy applied worldwide :)

I referred to this webpage: http://www.paris-bistro.com/conso/dr...so/carafe.html
And I THINK it says that the 1987 change in French law now ALLOWS the restaurant NOT to give tap water and bread with a meal AS LONG AS they post their policy outside and inside.

I am intrigued by this fact. I have gone to Paris at least once a year since Dec 1998, and I don't ever recall seeing that policy outside or on a menu. I'm sure there must be Paris places that do so--I just don't know where. I'm gonna look next time!

allessandre - i agree that the second part of the article about the changes is not as clear as the first part, but so far as i can tell, you've got it right. and i don't remember seeing those conditions written on a menu either, but then i wasn't looking for them.

I was interested to see that at the brasserie we ate at outside the cathedral of St. Denis, glasses of water were being served with coffee, in the arab fashion.

"But I bet he took the tip/service charge quite happily." -----DH wasn't pleased either so tip wasn't much.

<i>We ate at an outside bar one time and asked for tap water. It meant the waiter had to make a special trip inside. He wasn't pleased with us.<i/>

Where was this? I've never had a problem asking for tap water when dining outside in France. It wouldn't even occur to me not to order tap just because I'm sitting outside since they have to go inside to get the food/wine/etc. Or am I not understanding the bar setup correctly?